Unit for piercing, and piercing device

ABSTRACT

A lancing unit (U 1 ) includes a lancing member ( 2 ), an auxiliary part ( 3 ) which is separate from the lancing member ( 2 ), and a supporter ( 1 ) detachably supporting these. Preferably, the lancing unit (U 1 ) further includes a cap ( 29 ) which covers a needle ( 21 ) of the lancing member ( 2 ) and which is detachable from the lancing member ( 2 ), and the lancing member ( 2 ) is supported by the supporter ( 1 ) via the cap ( 29 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a lancing apparatus used to extractbody fluid such as blood. It also relates to a lancing unit holding adisposable part as a unit and used as mounted to such a lancingapparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

For diabetes treatment, management of the blood glucose level by apatient himself or herself is important for maintaining the bloodglucose level in a normal range. Particularly, for a patient ofinsulin-dependent diabetes, regular measurement of the blood glucoselevel is essential to maintain the blood glucose level in a normalrange. However, it is troublesome to often go to a medical institutionfor measuring the blood glucose level. Conventionally, therefore,apparatuses which enable the extraction and analysis of blood withoutgoing to a medical institution have been proposed. For example, JP-A2001-74731 discloses a lancing unit and a lancing apparatus as shown inFIGS. 26A and 26B.

The lancing unit 9 shown in FIG. 26A includes a lancet 90 as a lancingmember, and a first housing 91A accommodating part of the lancet. Thefirst housing 91A is fixedly fitted to a second housing 91B. As shown inFIG. 26B, the second housing 91B is provided with a test strip 92 and ablood introduction portion 95. The first housing 91A has an opening 91 awhich is closed by a cover 93 so that a sterilized needle 90 a of thelancet 90 can be kept hygienically clean. The first and the secondhousings 91A and 91B are wrapped by a wrapping member 94 in the form ofa bag or case.

The lancing unit 9 having the above-described structure is assembled bysetting the needle 90 a of the lancet 90 into the first housing 91Aafter the needle 90 a is sterilized and then fixing the first housing91A to the second housing 91B. With such an assembling method, thesterilization of the lancet 90 can be performed independently withoutadversely affecting the test piece 92. For example, unlike the above,when the sterilization of the lancet 90 is performed after the lancingunit 9 is completely assembled, a constituent of the test piece 92 maybe unduly changed due to the sterilization process. With the aboveassembling method, however, such a problem can be avoided.

As shown in FIG. 26B, the lancing apparatus 8 includes a housing case80. The first and the second housings 91A and 91B can be mounted to theapparatus when they are pushed to a front end 80 a of the housing case80. Therefore, the lancet 90 and the test piece 92 can be mountedsimultaneously. When the lancet 90 pushes a lancet holder 81 to theright in the figure, a spring 82 is compressed to bring the lancingapparatus 8 into a locked state. Thereafter, when an operation switch 83is operated with the lancing apparatus 8 pressed against the skin of ahuman body, the lancet holder 81 and the lancet 90 advance to the leftin the figure due to the resilient force of the spring 82, whereby theneedle 90 a of the lancet 90 lances the skin of the human body. Theblood bleeding from the skin as a result of the lancing is introduced tothe test sheet 92 through the blood introducing portion 95. The bloodcan be analyzed by optically detecting the color reaction of the testpiece 92.

However, the above-described prior art arrangement has the followingproblems.

First, in the prior art arrangement, to mount the lancet 90 and the testpiece 92 to the lancing apparatus 8, both of the first and the secondhousings 91A and 91B of the lancing unit 9 need be mounted to thelancing apparatus 8. Therefore, the front end of the lancing apparatus 8needs to be made relatively large. As a result, the size of the lancingapparatus 8 increases, which is inconvenient for carrying.

Secondly, from a hygienic point of view, the needle 90 a of the lancet90 need be hermetically sealed in the first housing 91A of the lancingunit 9. For this purpose, the portion where the first housing 91A andthe lancet 90 are fitted together need be hermetically sealed. On theother hand, after the first housing 91A along with the lancet 90 ismounted to the lancing apparatus 8 and the lancet holder 81 is advanced,the lancet 90 needs to move smoothly relative to the first housing 91Ain accordance with the movement of the lancet holder. However, to holdthe lancet 90 in the first housing 91A in such a manner as to satisfythe above two requirements is not easy. Thus, the needle 90 a of thelancet 90 sometimes is not hermetically sealed, or the lancet 90 afterit is mounted to the lancing apparatus 8 sometimes does not movesmoothly.

Thirdly, in the lancing apparatus 8, it is desirable that the bloodintroduction portion 95 is located as close to the lancing position aspossible. This is because, as the blood introduction portion 95 isfarther from the lancing position, the blood is less likely to come intocontact with the blood introduction portion 95 properly. Even when theblood comes into contact with the blood introduction portion 95, theamount of blood reaching the test piece 92 is small, whereby accurateanalysis result may not be obtained. Since the first case 91A is fixedto the housing 80 while the lancet 90 moves reciprocally along apredetermined path, the distance s between the path and the bloodintroduction portion 95 is always constant. In the prior artarrangement, therefore, to locate the blood introduction portion 95close to the lancing position, the blood introduction portion 95 need beprovided close to the needle 90 a of the lancet 90 in the state of thelancing unit 9 shown in FIG. 26A (though this figure does not show theblood introduction portion). However, in actually designing andmanufacturing the lancing unit 9, various points need be taken intoconsideration such as reduction in size of the entire unit and theairtightness of the first case 91A, so that it is sometimes difficult tolocate the blood introduction portion 95 sufficiently close to theneedle 90 a of the lancet 90. Therefore, in the prior art arrangement,it is difficult to locate the blood introduction portion 95 sufficientlyclose to the lancing position, so that the amount of blood introduced tothe test piece 92 is sometimes insufficient.

Fourthly, since the lancing unit 9 requires the cover 93 in addition tothe first and the second housings 91A and 91B, the number of parts ofthe lancing unit 9 is large, whereby the manufacturing cost isrelatively high.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a lancing unit and alancing apparatus which are capable of eliminating or lessening theabove-described problems.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda lancing unit comprising a lancing member, an auxiliary part which isseparate from the lancing member, and a supporter detachably supportingeach of the lancing member and the auxiliary part.

In the present invention, the lancing member and the auxiliary part maynot be directly supported by the supporter but may be indirectlysupported by the supporter.

Preferably, the auxiliary part comprises a part for taking a sampleobtained by lancing. The auxiliary part may be provided with a reagentfor undergoing reaction with the sample.

Preferably, when lancing of a skin is performed by utilizing the lancingmember, the auxiliary part engages the lancing member to control lancingdepth in the skin.

Preferably, the lancing member includes a needle, and the lancing unitof the present invention further comprises a cap for covering theneedle. The cap is detachable from the lancing member.

Preferably, the lancing member includes a body holding the needle, andthe cap is integrally formed on the body.

Preferably, the boundary portion between the cap and the body has astructure which causes a stress to be concentrated on the boundaryportion more than on other portions of the cap and the body.

Preferably, the boundary portion has a constricted configuration.

Preferably, the lancing member is supported by the supporter via thecap.

Preferably, the cap is formed separately from the supporter andsupported by the supporter.

Preferably, the supporter includes a portion for fitting to a part ofthe cap to hold the cap in a standing posture.

Preferably, the cap is integrally formed on the supporter.

Preferably, the supporter comprises a case including a tubular portionat least one end of which is open, and the case accommodates the lancingmember, the cap, and the auxiliary part. The tubular portion is notlimited to one having a circular cross section but may be one having asquare or rectangular cross section with flat side surfaces.

Preferably, the lancing unit according to the present invention furthercomprises a lid for closing the open end of the case.

Preferably, the direction in which the auxiliary part is detachable fromthe supporter corresponds to the direction in which the cap isdetachable from the lancing member.

Preferably, the auxiliary part is detachably supported by the cap.

Preferably, the cap is supported by the supporter while being interposedbetween the lancing member and the auxiliary part in a first directionin which the needle of the lancing member extends, and the cap ismovable in a second direction crossing the first direction to avoidoverlapping with the auxiliary part in the first direction.

Preferably, the supporter includes an arm portion for supporting thecap, and the arm portion is deformable in the second direction.

Preferably, the arm portion is provided by forming a cutout in thesupporter.

Preferably, the auxiliary part includes a surface facing the cap, andthe surface is inclined at least partially to be oriented also in thesecond direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda lancing apparatus for performing lancing by utilizing a lancing unitincluding a lancing member, an auxiliary part and a supporter detachablysupporting the lancing member and the auxiliary part. The apparatuscomprises a first holder for holding the lancing member, a movingmechanism for advancing the first holder in a predetermined directionwhen a predetermined operation is performed, and a second holder forholding the auxiliary part when the lancing member is held by the firstholder.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provideda lancing apparatus comprising a moving mechanism for holding a lancingmember and advancing the lancing member in a first direction, and aholding portion for arranging and holding an auxiliary part at aposition spaced from a path of the advancing movement of the lancingmember in a second direction crossing the first direction. At least oneof the auxiliary part and the lancing member is movable in the seconddirection.

Preferably, the holding portion is capable of moving the auxiliary partin the second direction.

Preferably, the moving mechanism detachably holds the lancing member,and a cap for covering a needle of the lancing member is attached to thelancing member. The holding portion is capable of moving the auxiliarypart toward the advancing movement path of the lancing member when thecap is separated from the lancing member with the lancing member held bythe moving mechanism.

Preferably, the holding portion includes a first wall, a second walllocated closer to the advancing movement path of the lancing member thanthe first wall, a space defined between the first and the second wallsinto which the auxiliary part can be partially inserted movably in thesecond direction, and a resilient member for pressing a portion of theauxiliary part toward the second wall when the auxiliary part ispartially inserted into the space.

Preferably, in the lancing apparatus according to the present invention,when the lancing member advances, the lancing member engages theauxiliary part so that the advancing movement of the lancing member iscontrolled.

Preferably, the holding portion allows movement of the auxiliary part ina direction opposite from the first direction when the auxiliary partreceives a force in said direction.

Preferably, the lancing apparatus according to the present inventionfurther comprising a measurement probe, and the auxiliary part includesan electrode for analyzing a sample obtained by lancing. The measurementprobe is brought into contact with the electrode as a result of movementof the auxiliary part toward the advancing movement path of the lancingmember.

Preferably, the lancing apparatus according to the present inventionfurther comprises a control circuit for executing analysis of thesample.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeclearer from the description of the embodiments given below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially cut away, showing an example oflancing unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a lancet with a cap incorporatedin the lancing unit shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a sectional viewthereof.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a sensor holder incorporated in thelancing unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a sensor incorporated in thelancing unit of FIG. 1, whereas FIG. 5B is an exploded perspective viewof the sensor.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view, partially in section, of the lancing unitshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing an example of lancing apparatusaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the principal portion of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 illustrates the lancet holder and the intermediate sleeve forguiding the holder of the lancing apparatus shown in FIG. 7.

FIGS. 10A-10E illustrate the guiding of the projections of the lancetholder shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a principal portion in the process ofmounting the lancet and the sensor holder of the lancing unit shown inFIG. 1 to the lancing apparatus shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the process of mounting the lancetand the sensor holder of the lancing unit shown in FIG. 1 to the lancingapparatus shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a principal portion of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing a principal portion after the lancetand the sensor holder of the lancing unit shown in FIG. 1 are mounted tothe lancing apparatus shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing an example of use of the lancingapparatus.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing an example of use of the lancingapparatus.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a principal portion of another example oflancing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view, partially cut away, showing anotherexample of lancing unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a side sectional view of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing another example of lancing apparatusaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a sectional view of a principal portion in the process ofmounting the lancet and the sensor holder of the lancing unit shown inFIG. 18 to the lancing apparatus shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of a principal portion of the lancingapparatus shown in FIG. 20 in which the lancet and the sensor holder ofthe lancing unit shown in FIG. 18 are held.

FIG. 23 is a sectional view of a principal portion for showing theoperation of pulling off the case of the lancing unit shown in FIG. 18from the lancing apparatus shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 24 is a sectional view showing the state after the mounting of thelancet and the sensor holder to the lancing apparatus of FIG. 20 iscompleted.

FIG. 25 is a sectional view showing the lancing operation of the lancingapparatus shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 26A is a sectional view showing a prior art lancing unit, whereasFIG. 26B is a sectional view showing a prior art lancing apparatus.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described belowin detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1-6 show an example of lancing unit and the structural partsaccording to the present invention. As better shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,the lancing unit U1 in this embodiment includes a case 1, a lancet 2, acap 29 and a sensor holder 3.

The case 1 is an example of supporter according to the presentinvention. The case 1, which is made of synthetic resin, includes agenerally cylindrical tubular portion 10 having an end (upper end)formed with an opening 12, and a bottom portion 11 connected to anotherend (lower end) of the tubular portion 10. The tubular portion 10 has aninner circumferential surface formed with a projection 13, which servesas a rotation stopper in fitting the case 1 around a part of a lancingapparatus A1, which will be described later. A film 14 as a lid forclosing the opening 12 is bonded to the upper surface of the case 1,whereby the case 1 is hermetically closed. As the film 14, use may bemade of one made of an aluminum foil or one provided by laminating aresin film onto an aluminum foil.

As better shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the lancet 2 includes a needle 21made of metal, and a body 20 made of synthetic resin and holding theneedle 21. The body 20 is so configured as to be properly mounted to alancet holder 5 of the lancing apparatus A1, which will be describedlater, and formed with a plurality of ribs 22 extending in the samedirection as the needle 21 and a recess 23.

The cap 29, which is formed integrally on the body 20 by resin molding,covers the front end of the needle 21 projecting from the body 20 andextends on the front end side (lower end side) of the body 20 in thesame direction as the needle 21. The boundary portion 28 between the cap29 and the body 20 is constricted to be smaller in diameter than otherportions. The boundary portion 28 is constricted so that the boundaryportion 28 break due to stress concentration on that portion when e.g. atorsional force is exerted to the cap 29 and the body 20. As means forcausing the stress to be concentrated on the boundary portion 28,instead of making the boundary portion 28 constricted, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced recesses of a depth which does not expose theneedle 21 may be formed at the boundary portion 28.

The cap 29 has a lower end formed with a hole 29 a. As shown in FIG. 6,the hole 29 a can be fitted to a projection 15 projecting from thebottom portion 11 of the case 1. By the fitting, the cap 29 is held inthe case 1 in a standing posture. In the present invention, converselyto the above structure, the bottom portion 11 of the case 1 may beformed with a recess, whereas the bottom of the cap 29 may be formedwith a projection to be fitted in the recess. The cap 29 is bonded tothe case 1 with an adhesive. Instead of using an adhesive, the bondingmay be performed by ultrasonic welding or thermal fusing. This holdstrue for the bonding between other portions of the lancing unit. Theneedle 21 of the lancet 2 is subjected to sterilization by e.g. γ-rayirradiation before it is incorporated into the case 1. Preferably, inthe case 1 is further disposed a desiccant (not shown) for keeping thequality of a sensor S, which will be described later.

The sensor holder 3 is an example of auxiliary part of the presentinvention. As better shown in FIG. 4, the sensor holder 3, which is madeof synthetic resin, includes a main body 32 and a projecting wall 31projecting upward from the main body 32 and having an arcuate crosssection. The main body 32 has a bottom surface which is inclined, forexample, and to which the sensor S is attached.

The sensor S is in the form of a chip and has a structure as shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B, for example. The sensor S includes a substrate 390 onwhich are provided a reagent 39 a containing enzyme which undergoescertain reaction (e.g. oxidation reaction) with glucose in blood, and apair of electrodes 39 b for electrically detecting the degree of thereaction. On the substrate 390 are also provided a pair of spacers 391spaced from each other, and a cover 392 for covering the spacers 391,all of which serve to define a capillary 393. The substrate 390, each ofthe spacers 391 and the cover 392 are continuously formed with a recess394 which serves as a blood introduction port. When blood is applied tothe recess 394, the blood travels through the capillary 393 by capillaryaction and is guided to the reagent 39 a.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main body 32 of the sensor holder 3 is formedwith a pair of through-holes 32 a and a pair of holding walls 32 b. Thepaired through-holes 32 a are utilized for inserting a pair ofmeasurement probes 62 of the lancing apparatus A1, which will bedescribed later, to bring the measurement probes 62 into contact withthe paired electrodes 39 b of the sensor S. The paired holding walls 32b can be fitted around a lower portion 29 b of the cap 29 so as to clipthe lower portion from opposite sides. For example, the lower portion 29b of the cap 29 is columnar, whereas the paired holding walls 32 b arecurved into a generally arcuate shape corresponding to thecircumferential surface of the lower portion. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,by fitting the paired holding walls 32 b around the lower portion of thecap 29, the sensor holder 3 is attached to the case 1 via the cap 29.However, the sensor holder 3 is slidable upward for detachment from thecap 29.

FIG. 7 shows an example of lancing apparatus suitable for using theabove lancing unit U1.

As shown in the figure, the lancing apparatus A1 of this embodimentincludes a housing 4, a lancet holder 5 arranged in the housing 4, alatch member 59 and a holding portion 6.

The housing 4 is provided by connecting three sleeves 40 a-40 cconstituting a front end portion, an intermediate portion, and a rearend portion in series and is fixed to an outer case 70. The sleeve 40 ahas a front end (lower end) which comes into contact with the skin of ahuman body in performing lancing and which has an opening 41. As shownin FIG. 11, the sleeve 40 a has a configuration and a size which make itpossible to fit the case 1 of the lancing unit U1 to the sleeve bysliding. The sleeve 40 a has an outer surface formed with a groove 42for receiving the projection 13 of the case 1. The groove 42 extendslongitudinally of the sleeve 40 a to prevent the rotation of the case 1in fitting the case 1 around the sleeve 40 a. In the lancing apparatusA1, the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 of the lancing unit U1 aremounted to the lancing apparatus A1 by sliding and fitting the case 1around the sleeve 40 a, whereby the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 areprecisely guided to predetermined positions in the lancing apparatus A1,which will be described later.

The holding portion 6 serves to hold the sensor holder 3 and includes anattachment 60 fixed to the inner surface of the sleeve 40 a. As bettershown in FIG. 8, the attachment 60, which is made of synthetic resin,includes a first and a second walls 60 b and 60 c defining a space 60 a.As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the space 60 a is a portion for insertingthe projecting wall 31 of the sensor holder 3 from below. The space 60 ahas a width s1 which is larger than the thickness t1 of the projectingwall 31 of the sensor holder 3. Therefore, when the projecting wall 31of the sensor holder 3 attached to the case 1 is inserted into the space60 a, a gap 60 a′ is defined between the projecting wall 31 and thesecond wall 60 c. However, when the projecting wall enters the space 60a, a spring 61 provided in the holding portion 6 exerts a resilientforce F for pushing the projecting wall 31 toward the second wall 60 c.Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, when the sensor holder 3 and the cap 20are separated from each other, the resilient force F of the spring 61presses the projecting wall 31 against a side surface of the second wall60 c, whereby the sensor holder 3 is held by the holding portion 6. Inthe state shown in the figure, the sensor holder 3 is movable up anddown along the side surface of the second wall 60 c in the directionindicated by the arrow N11.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the paired measurement probes 62 are held inthe second wall 60 c of the holding portion 6. The paired measurementprobes 62 for coming into contact with the paired electrodes 39 b of thesensor S extend axially of the housing 4. Each of the measurement probes62 has an expandable and contractible front end 62 a which is extendeddownward by a resilient force of an appropriate spring (not shown) whenthe sensor holder 3 is not mounted to the lancing apparatus A1. As shownin FIGS. 12-14, when the sensor holder 3 is mounted to the holdingportion 6, the front end 62 a is pushed upward by the sensor S forcontraction. The paired measurement probes 62 are electrically connectedto a control circuit 79 provided in the outer case 70. The controlcircuit 79, which comprises e.g. a CPU and a memory attached thereto,performs computation of the glucose level in blood introduced to thereagent 39 a based on the current detected via the paired measurementprobes 62.

The lancet holder 5 is fitted in the sleeve 40 b rotatably and slidablyin the axial direction. The lancet holder 5 has a lower end formed witha recess 50. By pushing the body 20 of the lancet 2 into the recess 50,the lancet 2 is removably held by the lancet holder 5. The inside of therecess 50 is formed with a plurality of grooves into which the ribs 22of the body 20 of the lancet 2 are fitted. With such an arrangement,when the body 20 of the lancet 2 is fitted into the recess 50, therelative rotation between the body 20 and the lancet holder 5 isprevented. As shown in FIG. 9, the lancet holder 5 has a head portion 51having a circumferential surface formed with a plurality ofequiangularly spaced projections 52. The projections 52 are fitted inand guided along a plurality of first guide grooves 43A and second guidegrooves 43B formed at an inner wall surface of the sleeve 40 b.

The first guide grooves 43A serve to rotate the lancet holder 5 when thelancet holder 5 is pushed upward by the lancet 2 of the lancing unit U1.The first guide grooves are inclined relative to the axial direction ofthe sleeve 40 b. The second guide grooves 43B serve to guide thestraight movement of the lancet 2 and the lancet holder 5 when theseparts are caused to advance to lance the skin of a human body with theneedle 21 of the lancet 2. The second guide grooves extend straight inthe axial direction of the sleeve 40 b. FIGS. 10A-10E are developed planview of part of the first and the second guide grooves 43A and 43B,which are actually connected to each other. (In these figures, thenearby portions of the first and the second guide grooves 43A and 43Bare cross hatched.) When the lancet holder 5 moves in the axialdirection of the housing 4, the projections 52 move along the first andthe second guide grooves 43A and 43B. The specific operation will bedescribed later in detail.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the latch member 59 is connected to an upperportion of the lancet holder 5 and slidably accommodated in the housing4. The latch member 59 has a lower end into which a bush 58 isnon-rotatably fitted. In the bush 58, a plurality of projections 53projecting from the upper surface of the lancet holder 5 are rotatablyinserted. With such an arrangement, the lancet holder 5 is rotatable,whereas the latch member 59 does not rotate in accordance with therotation of the lancet holder. The upper end of each of the projections53 engages the upper end of the bush 58 so as not to drop therefrom,whereby the lancet holder 5 and the latch member 59 are connected toeach other.

The latch member 59 has an upper portion formed with a pair of latchpawls 59 a. Each of the latch pawls 59 a serves to engage with an edgeof a respective one of paired cutouts 44 formed in the sleeve 40 c. Aswill be described later, this engagement occurs when the lancet holder 5and the latch member 59 are pushed upward by the lancet 2 of the lancingunit U1. To the upper portion of the sleeve 40 c are mounted a pusher 71for releasing the latch, and an operation cap 72 connected to thepusher. Between the pusher 71 and an intermediate wall 59 b of the latchmember 59 is provided a spring 73. The spring 73 may comprise acompression coil spring, for example. The operation cap 72 is slidablerelative to the sleeve 40 c in the axial direction thereof. Thus, whenthe operation cap 72 is pushed down while compressing the spring 73, thepusher 71 also moves downward in accordance with the movement of theoperation cap to press the latch pawls 59 a. As a result, as shown inFIG. 16, the latch pawls 59 a are forcibly disengaged from the edges ofthe cutouts 44, whereby the latch member 59 and the lancet holder 5advance downward due to the resilient force of the compressed spring 73.In the housing 4 is also provided a return spring 74 for retreating thelancet holder 5 and the latch member 59 after the advancement.

The operation and advantages of the lancing unit U1 and the lancingapparatus A1 will be described below.

In the lancing unit U1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the case 1 ishermetically closed by the film 14 before the use. Therefore, thereagent 39 a of the sensor S is not exposed to e.g. moisture, wherebythe quality deterioration in a short period of time is prevented. Sincethe needle 21 of the lancet 2 is covered by the cap 29 and the cap 29 isintegrally formed on the body 20 of the lancet 2, the needle 21 is alsohermetically sealed. Therefore, the sterilized state of the needle 21can be properly maintained from the state before the lancet 2 isincorporated into the case 1. In manufacturing the lancing unit U1, thesterilization of the needle 21 can be completed before the sensor holder3 is mounted to the cap 29. Therefore, the reagent 39 a of the sensor Scan be prevented from adversely affected by γ-rays used for thesterilization.

The lancing unit U1 is manufactured by mounting the lancet 2 providedwith the cap 29 into the case 1, mounting the sensor holder 3 to the cap29, and then sealing the opening 12 of the case 1 by the film 14.Therefore, the manufacture is easy. Specifically, the manufacture of thelancing unit U1 is easy particularly because the lancet 2 can be mountedjust by fitting the hole 29 a of the cap 29 to the projection 15 of thecase 1 and the sensor holder 3 can be mounted just by fitting the pairedholding walls 32 b around the cap 29. In the lancing unit U1, particularparts for supporting the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 within thecase 3 need not be additionally provided. Therefore, the total number ofparts is relatively small, and the entire structure is relativelysimple, so that the lancing unit U1 can be manufactured at low cost.

To use the lancing unit U1, the film 14 is broken or peeled off toexpose the opening 12 of the case 1, and then the case 1 is fittedaround the sleeve 40 a of the lancing apparatus A1, as shown in FIG. 11.By this operation, the body 20 of the lancet 2 is fitted in the recess50 of the lancet holder 5 to be held by the lancet holder 5. As the case1 is slid upward in the direction indicated by the arrow N1, the lancet2 pushes the lancet holder 5 upward. As a result, the lancet holder 5and the body 20 rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow N2,whereby the boundary portion between the lancet 2 and the cap 29 istwisted and broken.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10A, the projections 52 of the lancetholder 5 are initially located within the second guide grooves 43B. Whenthe lancet 2 is fitted into the recess 50, the projections 52 movecloser to the first guide grooves 43A, as indicated by the arrow N3 inFIG. 10B. To cause this movement, either the front ends of the ribs 22of the body 20 of the lancet 2 or the grooves in the recess 50 of thelancet holder 5 are inclined to be helical so that the lancet holder 3rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow N3 through a slightangle when the body 20 is fitted into the recess 50.

Subsequently, when the lancet holder 5 is pushed upward by the lancet 2,the projections 52 move along the first guide grooves 43A, as shown inFIGS. 10C and 10D. This operation causes the lancet holder 5 to rotate,whereby the body 20 of the lancet 2 also rotates. On the other hand, thecap 29 of the lancing unit U1 does not rotate because it is fixed to thecase 1. Therefore, the boundary portion 28 between the body 20 of thelancet 2 and the cap 29 is twisted, whereby the boundary portion 28 isbroken.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the case 1 is pushed upward by an appropriateamount, the latch member 59 also moves upward, whereby each of the latchpawls 59 a engages with an edge of a respective one of the cutouts 44.Thus, the latch member 59 is latched. As shown in FIG. 13, when the case1 is pushed upward, the projecting wall 31 of the sensor holder 3 entersthe space 60 a of the holding portion 6. In this embodiment, eachportion of the lancing unit U1 can be accurately positioned relative toa corresponding portion of the lancing apparatus A1 by sliding andfitting the case 1 relative to the sleeve 40 a while preventing therotation, whereby a high positioning accuracy can be provided.Therefore, even when the space 60 a has a relatively small openingwidth, the projecting wall 31 of the sensor holder 3 can be guidedprecisely into the space 60 a. Moreover, the above-described fitting ofthe lancet 2 into the recess 50 of the lancet holder 5 can be performedprecisely.

When the projecting wall 31 enters the space 60 a, the projecting wall31 receives the resilient force F of the spring 61. When the sensorholder 3 is supported by the cap 29, the sensor holder keeps its posturewhile resisting the resilient force F, whereby the gap 60 a′ is keptbetween the second wall 60 c and the projecting wall 31. The front end62 a of each measurement probe 62 is pushed upward by the sensor S andexerts a resistive force to the pushing. This resistive force can beutilized for reliably bringing the measurement probe 62 into contactwith the relevant electrode 39 b. In this embodiment, however, themeasurement probe 62 does not come into contact with the electrode 39 bof the sensor S when the projecting wall 31 just enters the space 60 a.As will be described later, such contact is established when the sensorholder 3 and the sensor S move toward the center of the housing 4.

After the pushing up of the case 1 is completed in the above-describedmanner, the case 1 is pulled down for detachment from the sleeve 40 a,as shown in FIG. 14. Since the boundary portion 28 between the body 20of the lancet 2 and the cap 29 has been twisted and broken as notedabove, the lancet 2 and the cap 29 readily separate from each other whenthe case 1 is pulled. By this separation, the lancet 2 is duly mountedto the lancet holder 5 with the needle 21 exposed. When the case 1 ispulled down, the cap 29 slides relative to the sensor holder 3 andpulled out to locate below the sensor holder 3. Thus, the sensor holder3 separated from the cap 29 is secured to the holding portion 6.

As noted above, in the lancing unit U1 and the lancing apparatus A1, themounting of the lancet to the lancet holder 5, the separation of the cap29 from the lancet 2, the mounting of the sensor holder 3 to the holdingportion 6, the separation of the cap 29 from the lancet holder 5, andthe latching of the latch member 59 can be performed just by fitting thecase 1 around the sleeve 40 a by sliding the case by an appropriateamount and then pulling out the case, which is convenient. Since the cap29 is kept fixed to the case 1, these parts can be easily disposed of.

In this embodiment, only the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 aremounted to the lancing apparatus 1, so that the lancing apparatus A1need not be designed to hold the case 1, for example. Therefore, thesize reduction of the lancing apparatus A1 is possible. Specifically, inthe prior art apparatus, not only the lancing member and the auxiliaryparts but also the support member for supporting them are mounted to thelancing apparatus. In this embodiment, however, a member correspondingto such a support member is not mounted to the lancing apparatus, sothat the lancing apparatus of this embodiment can be made smaller thanthe prior art apparatus. Moreover, in this embodiment, the lancet 2 issolely mounted to the reciprocally-movable lancet holder 5 of thelancing apparatus A1. In the prior art apparatus, the lancing memberneed be slidably mounted to a predetermined member (first housing 91A)of the lancing unit. Since such need does not exist in this embodiment,the structure of the lancing unit can be simplified, and the lancingmember reliably operates properly when mounted to the lancing apparatus.

When sensor holder 3 and the cap 29 are separated each other by pullingout the case 1 from the sleeve 40 a, the projecting wall 31 of thesensor holder 3 is pressed against the second wall 60 c by the resilientforce F of the spring 61. As a result, the sensor holder 3 moves towardthe center of the sleeve 40 a (in the direction indicated by the arrowN4 in FIG. 14) by the amount corresponding to the dimension of the gap60 a′ shown in FIG. 13. As a result, the sensor S comes into contactwith the measurement probes 62. With such an arrangement, the electricalconduction between the sensor S and the measurement probes 62 can besuspended until the proper mounting of the sensor holder 3 is completed,whereby wasteful power consumption can be prevented. Moreover, by movingthe sensor holder 3 toward the center of the sleeve 40 a, the sensor Scomes close to the lancing position, which provides the followingadvantages.

As shown in FIG. 15, after the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 aremounted to the lancing apparatus A1 by the above process, the front endof the sleeve 40 a of the lancing apparatus A1 is brought into contactwith the skin 99 of a human body as the object to be lanced. When thesleeve 40 a is brought into contact with the skin 99, the skin 99 maybulge. When the skin 99 bulges, the sensor holder 3, which is mademovable upward, is lifted as indicated by the arrow N12. Therefore, thesensor holder 3 does not hinder the bulging of the skin 99. The bulgingamount of the skin 99 becomes relatively large when a negative pressureis generated in the sleeve 40 a by using a pump, as will be describedlater. The arrangement of the sensor holder 3 to be movable upward isparticularly advantageous in such a case.

Subsequently, the operation cap 72 is pushed to advance the pusher 71.As a result, as shown in FIG. 16, each of the latch pawls 59 a isdisengaged from the edge of the relevant cutout 44, whereby the latchmember 59 and the lancet holder 5 move downward by the resilient forceof the spring 73 to cause the needle 21 of the lancet 2 to lance theskin 99. At this time, the body 20 of the lancet 2 partially engages themain body 32 of the sensor holder 23, whereby the needle 21 is preventedfrom sticking deep into the skin 99 more than necessary. As shown inFIG. 10E, when the lancet holder 5 moves downward, the projections 52move along the second guide grooves 43B, whereby the lancet holder 5 canmove straight. As a result of the straight movement, the projections 52can be located at a position which is similar to the initial positionshown in FIG. 10A, which enables the repeating of the above operation.

After the needle 21 lances the skin 99, the latch member 59 and thelancet holder 5 immediately retreat by a predetermined amount due to theresilient force of the return spring 74 to pull out the needle 21 fromthe skin 99. Preferably, a pump or a pump mechanism is provided in thelancing apparatus A1 to generate a negative pressure in the sleeve 40 ain lancing the skin. With such an arrangement, the negative pressurepromotes the bleeding from the skin 99, so that the lancing amount ofthe needle 21 of the lancet 2 can be reduced, which is advantageous forreducing the damage to the skin 99.

The blood extracted from the skin 99 is applied to the sensor S andguided to the reagent 39 a of the sensor S. As described with referenceto FIG. 14, the sensor holder 3 has approached the center of the sleeve40 a, i.e. located closer to the lancing position, so that the blood canbe reliably applied to a predetermined portion of the sensor S.Therefore, the amount of blood guided to the reagent 39 a can beprevented from becoming insufficient.

As means for positioning the sensor holder 3 close to the center of thesleeve 40 a, it may be considered to mount the sensor holder 3 close tothe center of the case 1 from the first in the state of the lancing unitU1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, since the sensor holder 3 issupported by the cap 29 in the lancing unit U1, the wall thickness ofthe cap 29 need be reduced for positioning the sensor holder 3 close tothe center of the case 1. When the wall thickness of the cap 29 isexcessively reduced, the mechanical strength of the cap may bedeteriorated. In such a case, the cap 29 may not reliably support thesensor holder 3. In this embodiment, however, such a problem can beavoided, because the sensor holder 3 moves closer to the center of thesleeve 40 a when it is mounted to the lancing apparatus A1.

In this embodiment, the distance between the lancet 2 and the sensorholder 3 in the state of the lancing unit U1 can be set relativelylarge. Therefore, it is not necessary to take the trouble to reduce thedistance between the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 in designing andmanufacturing the unit. Moreover, since the movement of the lancet 2toward the lancing position is performed by detaching the cap 29 fromthe lancet 2, the user need not perform any additional operation forthat purpose, which is convenient.

After the lancing operation is performed, the control circuit 79computes the glucose level in blood. In the lancing apparatus A1, thecomputed value may be displayed at a display (not shown) such as aliquid crystal display, for example. The lancet 2 and the sensor holder3 after use are detached from the lancing apparatus A1 and disposed of.Preferably, such detachment is performed by using a tool or a memberwhich is designed to enter the sleeve 40 a to engage and hold the lancet2 and the sensor holder 3. In such a case, the user need not directlytouch the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 after use.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing a principal portion of anotherexample of lancing apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG.17 and the subsequent figures, the elements which are identical orsimilar to those of the foregoing embodiment are designated by the samereference signs as those used for the foregoing embodiment.

The holding portion 6A of the lancing apparatus shown in the figureincludes a supporting element 69 for removably supporting the sensorholder 3. The supporting element is reciprocally movable, by a drivingforce of a driver 68, in a direction (indicated by the arrow N5)crossing the direction of the reciprocal movement of the lancet 2. Asthe driver 68, use may be made of various kinds of devices such as asmall-sized linear motor or an actuator utilizing an electromagneticforce which can cause the reciprocal movement.

With such an arrangement, the distance between the supporting element 69and the lancet holder 5 can be kept relatively large before the lancet 2and the sensor holder 3 are mounted to the lancet holder 5 and thesupporting element 69, respectively. Such a large distance facilitatesthe mounting of the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 when these membersare mounted one by one. Further, the possibility that the user's handtouches the needle 21 of the lancet 2 by mistake in mounting the sensorholder 3 can be reduced. After the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 aremounted, the supporting element 69 is moved at an appropriate timing tomove the sensor holder 3 close to the advancing movement path of thelancet 2, i.e. close to the lancing position. Thus, the advantagesintended by the present invention are duly obtained. In this way, in thepresent invention, driving means other than a spring may be utilized formoving the auxiliary part (sensor holder 3 in this embodiment) in adirection crossing the advancing direction of the lancet.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show another example of lancing unit according to thepresent invention. The lancing unit U2 in this embodiment includes acase 1 accommodating a lancet 2, a cap 29 and a sensor holder 3, andthis point is similar to the lancing unit U1 of the above-describedembodiment. However, the sensor holder 3 is arranged below the cap 29 sothat the cap 29 is interposed between the sensor holder 3 and the lancet2. Thus, the three members, i.e. the lancet 2, the cap 29 and the sensorholder 3 are generally aligned in the axial direction of the tubularportion 10 of the case 1.

The cap 29 is formed integrally on the body 20 of the lancet 2 andsupported under the body 20 by the case 1. Specifically, the cap 29 issupported by an arm 17 provided at the case 1. The arm 17 is provided byforming a cutout 10 a in the tubular portion 10 of the case 1 and has alower end connected to the tubular portion 10 and an upper end which isa free end. The upper end of the arm 17 is formed with a boss 17 a forpartially fitting into a recess 29 a formed at a side surface of the cap29. The cap 29 is bonded to the boss 17 a with an adhesive, for example.As shown by phantom lines in FIG. 19, the arm 17 is flexibly deformable,with elastic restoring force, in the direction indicated by the arrowNa, i.e. in a direction crossing the axial direction (vertical directionin the figure) of the tubular portion 10. By the flexible deformation ofthe arm 17 in the arrow Na direction, the cap 29 can move to a positionwhere the cap does not overlap the sensor holder 3 in the axialdirection of the tubular portion 10.

The sensor holder 3 is placed on and supported by a seat portion 18provided at a bottom portion 11 of the case 1. Part of the sensor S islocated directly below the cap 29. The sensor holder 3 is detachableupward from the seat portion 18. However, to prevent the sensor holder 3from easily moving on the seat portion 18 or dropping from the seatportion 18, the sensor holder 3 is held in engagement with the seatportion 18 by non-illustrated engagement means or bonded to the seatportion 18 with a relatively low adhesive strength. The circumferentialwall of the tubular portion 10 is formed with an opening 16 so that theincorporation of the sensor holder 3 into the case 1 can be performed byutilizing the opening 16. The main body 32 of the sensor holder 3 has anupper surface 32 c which is inclined to be progressively lower as itextends toward the central axis of the case 1.

The lancing unit U2 is hermetically sealed with a wrapping member (notshown) such as a gas-impermeable wrapping film. Specifically, in thishermetical sealing, the entirety of the lancing unit U2 is wrapped bythe wrapping member, because the case 1 provided with the cutout 10 acannot be hermetically sealed just by closing the opening 12 by thewrapping member.

FIGS. 20-25 show an example of lancing apparatus suitable for using theabove lancing unit U2 and the relevant items.

As better shown in FIG. 20, the lancing apparatus A2 in this embodimentincludes a housing 4, a lancet holder 5, a latch member 59 and a holdingportion 6, and the basic structure is similar to that of the lancingapparatus A1. However, the sleeve 40 a of the housing 4 of thisembodiment is formed with a cutout 49. The cutout 49 is provided toprevent the interference between the sleeve 40 a and the boss 17 a ofthe arm 17 when the case 1 of the lancing unit U2 is fitted around thesleeve 40 a.

The holding portion 6 includes a downwardly open space 60 a and iscapable of holding the sensor holder 3 with an appropriate holding forcewhen the projecting wall 31 of the sensor holder 3 is inserted into thespace 60 a. Though not illustrated, holding of the sensor holder 3 maybe performed by pressing the projecting wall 31 against a wall definingthe space 60 a with the use of a suitable spring, clamping theprojecting wall 31 with a suitable clamp member, or bringing theprojecting wall 31 into engagement with the holding portion 6, forexample. Unlike the foregoing embodiment, the sensor holder 3 in thisembodiment is not moved toward the center of the sleeve 40 a after it isheld by the holding portion 6. Therefore, the holding portion 6 can bedesigned to fixedly hold the sensor holder 3 as it is when the sensorholder approaches the holding portion.

Next, the operation and advantages of the lancing unit U2 and thelancing apparatus A2 will be described.

Since the lancing unit U2 is similar in structure to the lancing unit U1except the difference in positional relationship between the cap 29 andthe sensor holder 3, many advantages which are similar to those of thelancing unit U1 can be obtained. Since the lancing unit U2 is entirelywrapped with a wrapping member, exposure of the sensor S to e.g.moisture can be reliably prevented.

To use the lancing unit U2, the operations which are similar to thosefor using the lancing unit U1 are performed. Specifically, first, asshown in FIG. 21, the case 1 is fitted around the sleeve 40 a of thelancing apparatus A2 and pushed upward in the direction indicated by thearrow N7. By this operation, the body 20 of the lancet 2 is fitted andretained in the recess 50 of the lancet holder 5, and the lancet holder5 and the body 20 of the lancet 2 rotate in the direction indicated bythe arrow N8, whereby the boundary portion 28 between the lancet 2 andthe cap 29 is twisted and broken. As shown in FIG. 22, the projectingwall 31 of the sensor holder 3 enters the space 60 a to be held by theholding portion 6.

When the case l is thereafter moved downward in the direction indicatedby the arrow N9 in FIG. 23, the cap 29 and the lancet 2 are dulyseparated from each other. By the separation, the lancet 2 is duly heldby the lancet holder 5 with the needle 21 exposed, whereas the cap 29 iskept mounted to the case 1. The sensor holder 3 is separated from theseat portion 18 of the case 1 and held by the holding portion 6.

As shown by phantom lines in FIG. 23, in lowering the case 1, the cap 29partially engages the upper surface 32 c of the sensor holder 3. By thisengagement, the arm 17 is flexed in the direction indicated by the arrowN10. The cap 29 flexed in this way passes beside the sensor holder 3 tobe located below the sensor holder 3. In the arrangement of thisembodiment, the cap 29 engages the upper surface 32 c after the cap 29is completely separated from the needle 21 of the lancet 2. With such anarrangement, bending of the needle 21 by the cap 29 is reliablyprevented. Since the inclined upper surface 32 c of the sensor holder 3serves to guide the movement of the cap 29 in the direction indicated bythe arrow N10, the passing of the cap 29 beside the sensor holder 3 isperformed smoothly. In this way, by preventing the cap 29 frominterfering with the sensor holder 3, the case 1 can be smoothlydetached from the lancing apparatus A2. FIG. 24 shows the lancingapparatus A2 after the above operations.

As shown in the figure, the lancet 2 and the sensor holder 3 are somounted to the lancing apparatus A2 as to partially overlap each otherin the axial direction of the housing 4. With this arrangement, thesensor S can be located close to the center of the housing 4. Therefore,as shown in FIG. 25, when the lancet 2 is moved downward to lance theskin 99, the sensor S is located close to the lancing position. As aresult, similarly to the foregoing embodiment, the blood bleeding fromthe skin 99 is reliably introduced to the sensor S. Since the body 20engages the sensor holder 3 when the lancet 2 moves downward, thelancing depth of the needle 21 in the skin 99 can be controlled.

In this embodiment, the sensor holder 3 is mounted close to the centerof the housing 4 from the first. Therefore, unlike the foregoingembodiment, it is unnecessary to move the sensor holder 3 toward thecenter of the housing 4. Therefore, the mechanism of the holding portion6 can be made simple. Moreover, the opening width of the front end ofthe housing 4 can be made relatively small, which is advantageous forreducing the size of the lancing apparatus A2.

The present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments.Specific structure of each part of the lancing unit and the lancingapparatus according to the present invention may be modified in variousways.

The auxiliary part in the present invention may not comprise a sensorholder to which a sensor provided with a reagent is mounted. Forexample, the auxiliary part may comprise a sensor itself provided withe.g. a reagent, and the sensor by itself may be supported by thesupporter. The auxiliary part may comprise a part just for taking thesample obtained by lancing. Further, the auxiliary part need notnecessarily comprise a part utilized for analyzing the sample. Forexample, the auxiliary part may comprise a part just for engaging thelancing member in lacing to control the lancing depth into the skin.

The supporter of the lancing unit may comprise a member other than acase having a cylindrical portion. As the lancing member, use may bemade of a member having a structure which is different from that of theabove-described lancet. Although it is preferable that the cap forcovering the needle of the lancing member is integrally formed on thebody of the lancing member by resin molding as is in the foregoingembodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example,the cap may be bonded to the body of the lancing member with anadhesive, for example. The cap may be formed integrally on thesupporter. The cap, the supporter, and the body of the lancing membermay be integral with each other. The body of the lancing member and thecap may be separated from each other just by a pulling force, instead ofby twisting as a result of the relative rotation. As a method forseparating the lancing member and the cap from each other by twisting,the lancing member may be non-rotatably mounted to the lancingapparatus, and the user may manually rotate the supporter (case) forcausing the relative rotation between the lancing member and the cap.Such a method eliminates the need for providing the lancing apparatuswith means for rotating the lancing member, which leads to a reductionin manufacturing cost of the lancing apparatus.

The lancing unit and the lancing apparatus of the present invention arenot limited to those used for measuring the glucose level in blood butmay be structured for use in other kinds of measurement and analysis.

In the lancing apparatus according to the present invention, the holderfor holding the lancing member may be provided with a mechanism forclamping the lancing member, for example. Further, instead of a coilspring, other biasing means may be utilized in the moving mechanism foradvancing the holder for holding the lancing member.

1. A lancet supplying unit comprising a case having a closed bottom anda closable open top, a lancing member housed in the case, a sensorhoused in the case and provided separately from the lancing member, anda supporter detachably supporting each of the lancing member and thesensor in the housing, wherein the case is temporarily attached to alancing apparatus for supplying the lancing member and the sensor to thelancing apparatus, wherein the lancing member and the sensor remainattached to the lancing apparatus even after the case is detached fromthe lancing apparatus, wherein the lancing member includes a needle,wherein the lancet supplying unit further comprises a cap for coveringthe needle, the cap being detachable from the lancing member, whereinthe lancing member is supported by the supporter via the cap, andwherein the cap is integrally formed on the supporter.
 2. The lancetsupplying unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is held by asensor holder, and wherein, when lancing of a skin is performed byutilizing the lancing member, the sensor holder engages the lancingmember to control lancing depth in the skin.
 3. The lancet supplyingunit according to claim 1, wherein the lancing member includes a bodyholding the needle, and wherein the cap is integrally formed on thebody.
 4. The lancet supplying unit according to claim 3, wherein aboundary portion between the cap and the body has a structure whichcauses a stress to be concentrated on the boundary portion more than onother portions of the cap and the body.
 5. The lancet supplying unitaccording to claim 4, wherein the boundary portion has a constrictedconfiguration.
 6. The lancet supplying unit according to claim 1,wherein the supporter includes a portion for fitting to a part of thecap to hold the cap in a standing posture.
 7. The lancet supplying unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the case includes a tubular portion foraccommodating the cap together with the lancing member and the sensor.8. The lancet supplying unit according to claim 1, further comprising alid for closing the open top the case.
 9. The lancet supplying unitaccording to claim 1, wherein a direction in which the sensor isdetachable from the supporter corresponds to a direction in which thecap is detachable from the lancing member.
 10. The lancet supplying unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the sensor is detachably supported by thecap.
 11. A lancet supplying unit comprising a case having a closedbottom and a closable open top, a lancing member housed in the case, asensor housed in the case and provided separately from the lancingmember, and a supporter detachably supporting each of the lancing memberand the sensor in the housing, wherein the case is temporarily attachedto a lancing apparatus for supplying the lancing member and the sensorto the lancing apparatus, wherein the lancing member and the sensorremain attached to the lancing apparatus even after the case is detachedfrom the lancing apparatus, wherein the lancing member includes aneedle, wherein the lancing supplying unit further comprises a can forcovering the needle, the cap being detachable from the lancing member,wherein the cap is supported by the supporter while being interposedbetween the lancing member and the sensor in a first direction in whichthe needle of the lancing member extends, the cap being movable in asecond direction crossing the first direction to avoid overlapping witha holder retaining the sensor in the first direction.
 12. The lancetsupplying unit according to claim 11, wherein the supporter includes anarm portion for supporting the cap, the arm portion being deformable inthe second direction.
 13. The lancet supplying unit according to claim12, wherein the arm portion is provided by forming a cutout in thesupporter.
 14. The lancet supplying unit according to claim 12, whereinthe holder retaining the sensor includes a surface facing the cap, thesurface being inclined at least partially to be oriented also in thesecond direction.
 15. A lancet supplying unit comprising a lancingmember, an auxiliary part which is separate from the lancing member, anda supporter detachably supporting each of the lancing member and theauxiliary part, wherein the lancing member includes a needle, whereinthe lancet supplying unit further comprises a cap detachable from thelancing member for covering the needle, wherein the cap is supported bythe supporter while being interposed between the lancing member and theauxiliary part in a first direction in which the needle of the lancingmember extends, the cap being movable in a second direction crossing thefirst direction to avoid overlapping with the auxiliary part in thefirst direction.